ARTICLES ABOUT TICKS BY DATE - PAGE 5

No politics today. Instead, some potpourri: I got a call from a woman who wanted me to remind drivers to put their lights on, particularly as dusk approaches. She complained that she had a nasty encounter with the driver of a dark, dirty car late one afternoon recently. She said the car was tailgating her and had no headlights on, making it hard to see. Indeed, she said, they should do away with dark cars altogether. That seems a little extreme -- she was REALLY mad at this guy who was tailgating her -- but I do agree that your headlights should be on, particularly when there's inclement or gloomy weather.

Unemployment in the Lehigh Valley rose slightly in November, compared with the month before, but several key job sectors reached all-time highs. The unemployment rate rose one-tenth of a percent to 4.3 percent, compared with October, according to data to be released today by the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry. Local employment continues to remain stronger than the national and state rates, which in November were both 4.5 percent. "To go from 4.2 percent to 4.3 percent, it's a tick up, but overall the rate has been trending downward over the past four years," said state labor market analyst Joe Merlina.

Gov. Ed Rendell may have come out of Tuesday's elections with a mandate. But it's one with a fast-approaching sell-by date. The Democratic governor will have two years, at most, to accomplish his second-term agenda before lame duck syndrome sets in and his power wanes, political observers said this week. Second-term governorships range from "average to pretty awful," said political analyst Michael Young. Longtime staffers seek new jobs, and the Legislature looks ahead toward a successor, creating discord and distractions.

By Terry Ahner Special to The Morning Call - Freelance | October 6, 2006

A piece of Tamaqua Railroad history has been restored -- and wound. Bill and Florence Fegley, who lived in Tamaqua for 55 years before moving to New Ringgold five years ago, donated $500 to preserve an original regulator clock that hangs inside The Restaurant at the Station in borough's restored railroad station along Route 309. "This is our home," Bill Fegley said. "We've been fortunate in our lives to do many things, and this is one of them." A news conference was held Thursday by the Tamaqua Save Our Station group, which bought the train station in 1992 and in 2004 completed a $1.5 million restoration of the downtown centerpiece.

The re-launched negotiations between Allentown and its police union are starting with a number and working backward. As the two sides in the protracted pension dispute return to bargaining this week, they are seeking a seemingly elusive combination of reductions in the police pension plan that will save the city a targeted amount of money without being unacceptable to the union. City and union officials won't disclose that targeted level of savings. "If and when that is reached, then I am sure that will be disclosed," said lead city attorney Maxwell Davison.

J.G. Petrucci Corp. has until Oct. 13 to decide whether it wants to take on the redevelopment of the former Colonial Theater site in the heart of Allentown's Hamilton Street corridor. The Asbury, N.J., developer has signed a site control contract to purchase the vacant 0.63-acre lot for $500,000 in four months, or lose its exclusive development rights. That's twice what the company offered in March when it beat out two competitors for the project. Petrucci business developer Tom Shaughnessy said the company still plans to build a 68,000-square-foot, mixed use office and retail building on the property, and has already had some interest from potential tenants.

NO TICKS ALLOWED The Infectious Diseases Society of America offers tips for avoiding tick bites and the Lyme disease they can cause: Avoid areas known to be infested with ticks. Wear protective, light-colored clothing. This minimizes exposed skin and makes it easier to see ticks. Use tick and insect repellents. If you suspect exposure, check your entire body at the end of the day to locate and remove ticks. Check children's skin thoroughly, including skin folds and the head, scalp and neck area.

Consolidating your student loans is probably the last thing you want to think about when you just walked across a stage in cap and gown and your parents are hounding you to find a real job and move out. But the clock is ticking to refinance federally backed student loans to lock in at interest rates that are the fourth lowest in the history of the 40-year student loan program. Starting July 1, interest rates will jump significantly on government-guaranteed loans. The new rates apply to Stafford loans, taken out by students, and to Parent Loans for Undergraduate Students, also known as PLUS loans.

Scientists at East Stroudsburg University's new Northeast Infectious Disease Diagnostic Laboratory will focus on understanding and combating diseases spread by insects, especially Lyme disease, which is transmitted by ticks. The lab opened three weeks ago for diagnostic services in the university's Applied DNA Sciences Facility after a $400,000 renovation to the building. In addition to being a testing facility for ticks, the new lab will provide a training ground for East Stroudsburg's undergraduate and graduate students, said lab manager Gary Fromert.